Boil Water Notice remains in place for customers supplied by Whitegate Public Water Supply

Friday, 17 November 2022: Irish Water and Cork County Council wish to remind customers supplied by the Whitegate Public Water Supply, that the Boil Water Notice (BWN) issued on 29 October remains in place. The BWN was issued to protect the health of approximately 9,500 customers due to increased turbidity in the raw water source.

Areas impacted include Aghada, Churchtown, Ballycotton, Saleen, Shanagarry, Ballinacura and areas of Cloyne. Customers can check if their property is included by visiting the Water Quality section of www.water.ie and entering the property’s Eircode or by calling the Irish Water customer care helpline, open 24/7, on 1800 278 278. A map of the impacted area is attached.

Drinking water experts from Irish Water and Cork County Council are working to rectify the turbidity issues at the treatment plant and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible, in consultation with the HSE. Irish Water is also progressing a permanent solution to address the issues in the long term. This involves a major upgrade of the water treatment plant that will ensure a safe, reliable drinking water supply to customers on the Whitegate Regional Public Water Supply now and into the future. In the meantime, all customers on this supply are advised to boil water before use until further notice.

Water Operations Lead for Irish Water, Pat Britton said, “Public health is Irish Water’s number one priority and I want to again acknowledge the inconvenience that these Boil Water Notices are having on the local community. I would like to assure customers that we are working to resolve the issue and lift the notice as quickly and as safely as possible. However, once we are in a position to lift the Boil Water Notice, there is the possibility that we may have to re-issue the notice if the raw water quality deteriorates, or we get a bad spell of adverse weather.”

Irish Water is pursuing a permanent solution to address the frequent Boil Water Notices that the people of East Cork have experienced over the last number of years. This involves a major upgrade of the water treatment plant that will ensure a safe, reliable drinking water to customers on the Whitegate Regional Public Water Supply. A detailed scoping of the new treatment plant has been completed, land has been acquired, and a contractor has been appointed to undertake the design and construction. The proposed works will include a new coagulation, flocculation and clarification system, a new filtration system and a new disinfection system. Significant upgrades will also be made to other aspects of the Kilva Water Treatment Plant site.

Following a Section 5 application to Cork County Council to exempt the upgrade from planning as emergency works, Cork County Council have confirmed that a full planning application is required in this instance. As such the timelines indicated are reflective of this. The project is currently at detailed design phase and Irish Water are targeting early 2023 for the submission of a planning application to Cork County Council. Subject to the planning process, it is anticipated that construction would commence on site in 2024. However, as with all projects where planning is required, timelines can be difficult to predict. Further updates will be made available as the project progresses.

Irish Water’s drinking water standards, as per EU Drinking Water regulations, are strict and include wide safety margins. Where risks to water quality are identified through Irish Water’s enhanced testing and monitoring programme, the Health Service Executive (HSE) are consulted, and Boil Water Notices are issued to protect public health. In all instances immediate action is taken to address the cause of the issue to enable the lifting of the notice as quickly as it safe to do so, in agreement with the HSE.

Vulnerable customers who have registered with Irish Water receive direct communication on Boil Water Notices. Customers are reminded that the water is safe to consume once boiled.

Water must be boiled for;

• Drinking;
• Drinks made with water;
• Preparation of salads and similar foods, which are not cooked prior to eating;
• Brushing of teeth;
• Making of ice- discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers and filtered water in fridges. Make ice from cooled boiled water.

What actions should be taken:

• Use water prepared for drinking when preparing foods that will not be cooked (e.g., washing salads);
• Water can be used for personal hygiene, bathing and flushing of toilets but not for brushing teeth or gargling;
• Boil water by bringing to a vigorous, rolling boil (e.g., with an automatic kettle) and allow to cool. Cover and store in a refrigerator or cold place. Water from the hot tap is not safe to drink. Domestic water filters will not render water safe to drink;
• Caution should be taken when bathing children to ensure that they do not swallow the bathing water;
• Preparing Infant Formula: Where a Boil Water Notice is in place, you can prepare infant formula from tap water that has been boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled beforehand. Bottled water can also be used to make up infant formula. All bottled water, with the exception of natural mineral water, is regulated to the same standard as drinking water. It is best not to use bottled water labelled as ‘Natural Mineral Water’ as it can have high levels of sodium (salt) and other minerals, although it rarely does. ‘Natural Mineral Water’ can be used if no other water is available, for as short a time as possible, as it is important to keep babies hydrated. If bottled water is used to make up infant formula it should be boiled once (rolling boil for 1 minute) and cooled in the normal way. Ready-to-use formula that does not need added water can also be used.

Great care should be taken with boiled water to avoid burns and scalds as accidents can easily happen, especially with children.

Updates are available on our Water Supply Updates section on water.ie, on Twitter @IWCare and via our customer care helpline, open 24/7 on 1800 278 278.